I'll try to bat 50 overs: Sehwag

Bangalore, Feb 10: Dashing Indian opener Virender wants to pull a Sunil Gavaskar and bat out an entire one-day innings in a World Cup match. But one can rest assured that unlike Sunny, who scored 36 runs off a mammoth 174 balls in that infamous opening match of the 1975 World Cup, Viru will be getting more runs and at a much quicker pace. After all, a lusty-hitter with a strike rate of 102 over a decade, could hardly do otherwise.

"I think I never played 50 overs in one-day cricket, maximum I faced is 42-44 overs," Sehwag said in Bangalore. "This time I'll try to bat 50 overs if I can. I have been trying for 10 years, I'm still trying." He has set his sights on the onbjective in a bid to emulate Sachin Tendulkar whom he knows has carried his bat through the innings on several occasions."He could make 200 only once because it is not easy to make 200 in a one-dayer," observed Sehwag.

Sehwag says he will employ a slightly more measured approach to opening the batting, as a third of his scores have been in single digits. I'm a giving a little bit of respect for first 4-5 overs," he said. "Then I can take on the bowlers to make sure I give a good start so even if I get out, the middle order can take their time and then go after the bowling."

He says that the advent of Twenty20 cricket has changed the mind-set of the batsmen and that 300 to 320 would be a par score in the upcoming World Cup.

Sehwag may be raring to go, but is his body? He is been out with injury for the last month which means he played his last one-dayer 5 months ago. Though he claims that he is back top full fitness once again, he is yet to start bowling in the nets. He will have to begin doing that soon, if he is to bowl over his fans this World CupOneindia Cricket